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0, M. M-USGROVE & A. sMiTH,

m W x mm m/ I KNITTING MAQHINE. No. 545,809.

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CHARLES M. MUSGROVE AND AUGUSTINE SMITH, OF PITTSFIELD, MASSA- CHUSETTS;SAID SMITH ASSIGNOR TO SAID MUS GROVE.

KNITTING-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 545,809,. datedSeptember 3, 1895.

' 7 Application filed July 23 1894. Serial No. 518,295. (No modeLl .ToaZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, CHARLES M. MUS- onovn and AUGUSTINE SMITH, citizensof the United States of America, residing at Pittsfield, in the countyof Berkshire and State of Massachusetts, have invented new and usefulImprovements in Knitting-lvlachincs, of

which the following is a specification.

i while the cylinder and work thereon continue their revolutionsuccessively to revolve, a discontinuance of the closing of the beardsof the needles as they come adjacent the presser-wheel, all so that thelower most loops of the tubular fabric already formed and revolving withthe cylinder may not be cast off from the needles, but so that the work,in so far as it has been perfectly completed, remains in a condition tohave the broken yarn again easily connected,so that the knitting maythenbe continued without any necessity of resetting or having to again loopin the knit fabric relative to the needles, or of otherwise having toperform any slow, difficult, 0r bothersome operation.

The invention consists in the combination, with a presser-wh'eel mountedon a vertical axis which normally occupies its beard-closing position inrelation to the needles as they in come subject to the'pressure of saidwheel,and which presserwheel 'is' mounted for a rising movement on theline of its axis, of a device which comprises a spring, or likeactuating agency for elevating the wheel above its beard-closingrelation to the needles, and a trigger-like part which rcstrains saidwheel-shifting device and which is engaged and supported by the yarn solong as the latter is continuous, and which, on the breaking of the yarnwhich supports it, effects the release of the presserwheel-elevatin gdevice. Said arm and trigger connections constitute the detent, as willbc understood.

The invention also consists in particular constructions and combinationsof parts, all substantially as will hereinafter fully appear and be setforth in the claims.

Referencejs to be had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure lis a perspective view of so much of a circular-knitting machine with theprescut improvements operatively applied thereon as will enable a personskilled in the art to readily comprehend the present invention. Fig. 2isa vertical section through the presserwheel, showing the device whichlifts the same above its beard-closing relation. Fig. 3 is a view whichshows the presser-wheel in its beard-closing relation to the needle,while Fig. 4 is a view which shows the said wheel lifted from itsboard-closing relation. In the drawings, A represents the rotaryneedle-cylinder with the series of knittingneedles (1., each formed, asusual, with the hook-bend 10 and board 12, as a downward continuation ofthe bend, which beard has a spring reaction outwardly, as usual.

The push-down B and stitch-wheel O are arranged as usual.

D represents the presser-Wheel'mountedon the fixed support at one sideof the needlecylinder and rotatingin a substantially horizontal planewith its edge in a compressing impingement against the beards of theknitting-needles. The presser wheel rotates on the vertical stud b, onwhich the hub of the said wheel is loosely fitted, so that in additionto its rotary movement the wheel may also have an axial movement to risefrom its seat upon the shoulder d at the base of said stud. 0n thesupport fortheshiftable presserwheel, and under said wheel, is a pivotedcam-lever f, having the arm g to which the actuating-spring is applied,and having the arm 7L, which is to be engaged by the pivotally-mountedtrigger j. Said cam-lever, when o swung on its pivot by the force of itsspring, exerts the elevating action upon the presserwheel. Normally thecam-lever is so held against the reaction of its spring that theresser-wheel may remain down, and when 5 so in lowered position the armis restrained by the trigger, which may consist of the wire mounted onand extended from the rocking pivot i, and which extends from suchplaceof engagement up to proximity to the yarn near the needle-cylinder,which yarn, so long as it is unsevered, has a supporting and freerunning engagement with and under said trigger. -Now, plainly, so longas the knitting-machine runs under proper conditions with the yarncontinuous, the operation of all of the knitting mechanism, inclusive ofthe presser-wheel, is as usual, the presser-wheel causing, as theneedle-beards are successively 'brought against it, a compression of thebeards, as seen in Fig. 3, whereupon the loop an, already formed at thebottom of the work and corresponding to a given needle, may be drawn upover and oif from the top of the needle, forming, a new loop by. theyarn(seenat a iii-Fig. 3)in thehook-bend of the needle.

Now, in the event of the breaking of the yarn (whereupon there can be nonew loop formed 'in case the last loop at the bottom of the work supportfor the wire triggerj, whereupon the latter swings down byits gravity,disengaging the arm 12-, which permits the cam-lever to forcibly swingby reason of the reaction of its spring, the cam exerting the elevatingThe impingement upon the presser-wheel. wheel being raisedfree and clearabove the circular path of the bearded needles leaves the beards of theneedles open, (see Fig. 4,)

whereupon, as plain, the loops at the bottom of the already knit workwill not on being upwardly drawn be disengaged from the needles. Thismechanism has been found unusually advantageoudjn that it operates.

with extreme' quickness and positiveness and with entire efiiciency.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patout, isl 1. In a knitting machine, the rotaryne'edlecylinder carrying hooked needles, the presser wheel mounted on a fixedvertical axis at one side of the needle cylinder and rotating with itsedge in proximity to the boards of the needles, a spring actuated camlever mounted on a'support with its cam face in contact with the lowerface of the presser wheel, said lever having an arm projectingtherefrom, a wire trigger engaging said arm and resting on the yarn,whereby thebreaking of the yarn effects the release of the pressurewheel elevating, device, all combined substantially as described.

' ill Ina sirens? knitting machiu'a earn -f and'bearded needles, a fixedverticalsupport support having its edge in proximity to the needles, athree-armed lever supported on a pivot near said-wheel, one of the armsbeing a cam and having a bearing against the under surface of thepresser wheel, the second arm having a spring connected thereto andtending to rock the lever on its pivot, and the thirdarm in engagementwith the trigger,

.near said carrier, the presser wheel on said.

said trigger bearing on the unbroken yarn and dropping on the breakageof the yarn,

whereby the three-armed lever is swung and,

the presser wheel raised on its axis, all combined substantially'asdescribed.

3. In a knitting machine, the cylinder and needles,-the verticallymovable presser wheel, a cam mounted under said wheel and bearingthereon, a spring for actuating said cam to lift the presser wheel, anda detent acting normally to restrain the cam movement, said dete-ntcontrolled by the unbroken yarn, all combined and relatively arrangedsubstantially as described.

CHARLES M. MUSGROVE. AUGUSTINE SMITH.

Witnesses:

AMBROSE J. SPENCER, WILLIAM SIPPERLY.

